Rioja Wine Pairing at Finca

One of my favorite summer activities is sipping wine outside on warm evenings while the sun sets. I’m convinced that the fresh air makes the wine taste better. Or maybe enjoying wine at the end of a hot day is so relaxing I can’t help but truly appreciate the wine. Which is why last weekend’s wine pairing dinner at the newly-opened Spanish tapas restaurant, Finca, held outside on the patio, was a perfect way to kick off the start of summer.

Tapas and wine at Finca’s Rioja wine pairing dinner.

The event featured winemaker and owner Raimundo Abando of Bodegas Las Orcas winery in Rioja, Spain, and five of his wines. The wines were showcased with ten tapas dishes for only $65/person. The dishes spanned a wide range of Finca’s menu, from smoked salmon on toasted bread, brussel sprouts with house-made bacon to croquetas, flat bread with goat cheese and piquillo peppers, and my favorite, pork belly skewers. Together the dishes created a wonderful dinner full of variety and each plate had us discussing how delicious they were.

Enjoying wine with Meagan at Finca.

The dinner was limited to just 25 guests. The tapas arrived family style at our communal tables, encouraging everyone to engage in conversation with each other while we passed plates around. Once the wine kicked in and the night wore on, everyone at the tables had turned into friends. We were enjoying ourselves so much that most people stayed well passed the scheduled end of the dinner to savor their last sips of wine and talk with each other.

Wine and Finca’s roasted carrots.

I’m hoping that Finca will hold more events like this in the future, especially outside on the patio! In the meantime, I’ll definitely be back for a dinner of tapas and wine at Finca.

Hi, I'm Kelli Nakagama! Welcome to Random Acts of Kelliness, a food and travel blog based in Chicago. I'm a Chicago addict, food fanatic,
opera aficionado, and whiskey enthusiast with a series case of wanderlust.